I’ve Put A New Fish In The Aquarium, What Should I Look For?

Buying a new fish for the aquarium is without doubt exciting. We don’t keep aquariums just to look at a glass box! Even in a reef system fish make the scenery look more realistic and add movement. 

It’s assumed that all the correct actions have been completed before the moment of purchase. Above all else, the fish shouldn’t be an impulse buy, an act more likely to occur with less experienced aquarists. Obtaining a fish because it’s so pretty is wrong. The fish general type should be reasonably researched, that is it should be suited to the type of environment it is intended for (reef or fish only) and be compatible with the fish and corals, if any, already present or intended. The fish may look lovely but what is its final size? Does it have predatory tendencies? Particularly in a fish only system, but also for a reef the fish type’s character should be carefully judged as timid fish will not do so well among other bolder and more aggressive ones. Some research as above is important as once the local fish store is reached the fish on display, some very tempting because of their beauty, are likely to cause confusion. 

Fish for sale at a local fish store cannot be automatically accepted as being healthy. Some stores properly quarantine incoming fish and this has to be applauded. It’s necessary to ensure any quarantine has been properly done though – I learned of one store that did genuinely keep fish for two weeks before sale and then sold them. The problem was that the fish were not isolated for the two weeks in quarantine as new incoming fish were placed in the same tank. This exposed the existing fish to any incoming problem and each time a new fish went in the quarantine period should have been extended for a further two weeks (or more) but this didn’t happen. 

It’s important for the aquarist to question the health of any fish desired – spend time looking carefully at the fish for negative signs such as cloudy eyes, ragged fins, over fast respiration, hanging about listlessly in one area, spots and marks on the body etc. This is quite difficult for the inexperienced as for example fish have naturally differing rates of respiration. For example, a damsel has a faster gill beat than an angel. Also in a dealer’s tank the situation is far from perfect as the dealer needs to catch the fish on display quite quickly and a heavily decorated tank would seriously interfere with this. Nevertheless there are signs that can be spotted. If the store has a good reputation the assistant will be happy to explain anything. Once the aquarist is happy that all is well, ask to see the fish feed and again the assistant should be happy to oblige. If all is well ask the assistant what is usually fed – once home use this diet to start with so the fish recognizes the food if the species is known to be a bit finicky. The diet can be varied as time progresses. 

In the photo is a beautiful fish commonly called a copperband butterflyfish, the proper name is Chelmon rostratus. This is a reasonable example of what the less experienced aquarist should avoid. The fish though a ‘butterfly’ is generally suited to a reef aquarium but not a fish only system unless the fish are peaceful and even so food could be lost to other fish. A reef is best as the fish can pick at the rocks for food as it would in the wild, hence the long snout, though it’s unlikely the fish would find sufficient to eat. Even with a healthy fish the problem arises with standard feeding, with even experienced aquarists finding that they don’t feed. What is really frustrating is that sometimes they do feed without any problem – it seems to be a bit of a lottery. The one I owned lived in a reef system but I had to place food in a special rock with holes drilled in it so the fish could take it ‘naturally’. 

So the aquarist has picked the fish which is compatible and as far as can be ascertained healthy. It needs to be transported home and if not already quarantined put into a quarantine tank. Most aquarists don’t do this unfortunately. Then after a fortnight or more it should be properly introduced to the display aquarium, with dimmed light and time for the seawater condition between the quarantine tank or travel bag and the display aquarium to equalize. 

The first point when the fish is in the display aquarium is to watch for it to appear. Most fish tend to disappear into the rocks, or find a suitable place which offers some security. For all the fish knows there are predators about. Feeding the fish already present should continue as usual. The new fish will stay hidden for a while, the period very much dependant on the species and the company it has to keep. A healthy fish will re-appear and explore the aquarium. If the aquarist has provided sufficient hide-holes one of these will be adopted giving the fish more permanent security. Security is very important to the new fish as it has been stressed a great deal in the previous weeks with capture (unless tank-raised) and travel, so it needs time to calm down and resume its normal life patterns as far as possible. 

Once the fish has re-appeared a check needs to be made that it’s feeding. Some fish are bold feeders going for the food the instant it hits the seawater. Others are slower and some are timid, particularly if they are being harassed. The character of the fish should be taken into account to ensure it has enough food. Sometimes the fact that other fish are eating is sufficient for the new fish to join in. 

Whether the fish has been quarantined or not, once the fish is visible a watch should be kept for any changes in appearance or habits. If the way it swims changes, or breathing rates increase, or there are ragged fins it should be noted. If very small or tiny yellowish white to white spots are noticed on the fins or body then very close monitoring is needed. If the fish gives the opportunity have a look with a magnifying glass. Spots could be a sign of serious disease which if left alone could put other fish in danger. If such a sign appears don’t take immediate action but try to be sure that what is being medicated is actually there! Speedy action is necessary but there is time to consider. With some diseases it is easier to treat a fish only system than a reef. 

All aquarists keep a general eye on their fish to be sure they are healthy even if the fish have been resident for months or years.  After a time it becomes automatic at feeding and maintenance times. 

If the aquarist keeps high quality seawater and does the necessary ongoing maintenance plus feeds an adequate diet, with a little bit of luck the odds seem to be that the aquarium fish will settle and live a long healthy life. As experience grows the likelihood of being tempted to add ‘one more’ fish, possibly an inappropriate one, will diminish.

 

 

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I have received two messages concerning difficulty in navigating aquaristsonline.com because of  its size. (I apologise to the sender(s) – the messages were approved but they disappeared!)

The first and best way is to use the categories listed on the right of the page. Once the category desired has been reached then scroll through the texts.

The second way is to click on ‘Sitemap’ at the bottom of the page. This will bring up a list of texts in order of date, newest first. Clicking on one of these will go directly to that text. It’s known that there are broken links earlier on because of a problem that arose but these should be few.

In addition there is a ‘Search’ facility top right of the page.

A Battle Won – Or Are They Just Regrouping?

Many marine aquarists (or is it most?) run into a problem or two along the way. This could be with equipment though this is generally reliable nowadays. Often the problem is environmental and could be an unwanted invasion.

With my aquarium it was an invasion, or rather two of them. The first was algae (we all recognize and shudder at the possibilities there!) and the second unwanted life.

Except for desirable types of encrusting algae there had never been an algae problem and apart from what follows never has. I first noticed the little green balls here and there and was initially pleased because it was a quite attractive addition. I identified them quite quickly as ‘sailor’s eyeballs’, also known as bubble algae but properly called Ventricaria ventricosa. The green balls, which can vary in colour shade in line with the available light, can grow up to ½” or so in diameter. They could form small cylinders as well as balls. It was quickly learned that they are unwelcome because if they are left to their own devices they could spread very quickly – they eventually burst and spread spores everywhere. One good thing is that they are said to grow in high quality seawater*, so this could be Mother Nature confirming the test kit results. The balls are full of carbon monoxide which is a toxic gas*.

So how was this attack met? It was clear that as the aquarium is a reef it was likely they could never be eradicated completely because of all the nooks and crannies among the rocks. However, the ones that were visible would be destroyed. Remembering that if burst they could spread spores it was decided to burst and siphon them at each routine seawater change. The basic equipment used is about 12” of rigid airline connected to a length of flexible airline, enough to reach from the lowest part of the aquarium to a bucket. Then, before the main seawater change took place, each bubble seen was burst and the pipe kept very near the bubble for a few seconds thus taking out any spores. It takes a bit of practice but eventually is easy.

Constant attacks on the bubbles reduced their numbers and these reduced numbers meant fewer new bubbles, on a down scale as time went on. It’s felt that the bubbles have raised the truce flag and are well under control. As said, they’re still hidden here and there so the conqueror needs to maintain vigilance!

Two invasions were mentioned. The second one was aiptasia. This time it was known that they weren’t welcome and attacks began. With the reef the same problem applied – not all would be seen. The aiptasia, also known as ‘glass anemones’ come into the aquarium with live rock or perhaps more likely with coral rock (which could be called uncured live rock). They present the same problem – one or two fine, but they are likely to multiply rapidly. They shouldn’t be scraped off rocks or squashed etc as this will leave remnants which are quite likely to grow into new anemones. There are one or two natural ways of attacking them.

Natural methods that have been recommended are the introduction of a copperband butterfly fish (Chelmon rostratus), or by a peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni). Some aquarists have reported success with these but there are others who advised they took little interest in the anemones. There is also the question of suitability to the aquarium type and the fact that the aquarium could be fully stocked. The copperband butterfly is also known to be a gamble as far as feeding is concerned, some seem to eat without problem and yet others could drive the aquarist nuts! Where an introduction is considered to be safe then one or the other could be tried, the fish and shrimp are interesting in their own right. Once introduced a watch needs to be kept for any problem that the fish or shrimp could meet and also that the aiptasia are being dealt with.

If new introductions are not wanted then there is a chemical method that is reliable and safe and this is the route taken in my case. The chemical comes in liquid form and is gently squirted on the central disc of the anemone making sure that circulation pumps are temporarily turned off. The instructions need to be carefully followed of course. The product is named ‘Joes Juice**’. My aquarium is full of soft corals (though there are few fish) and there has never been a bad reaction of any sort to the treatment. The anemones have not been completely eradicated because of the rock formations but are very low in number – sometimes a search finds none at all. If one is seen, no matter how small, it’s attacked. Again this action is taken at routine maintenance time. Once more it seems the white flag has been flown but a watch is still needed for the little devils.

If the seawater is low in nitrate and phosphate then the possible problems are diminished though not removed entirely. The main point is early identification – anything seen that ‘wasn’t there before’ needs investigation and identification. In the case of the above invasions, each problem was dealt with on a fortnightly basis so that only one had to be faced at each weekly routine maintenance job.

Photographs of the offending beasties should have been taken when they were available but weren’t. However it’s easy anyway, just go into Google and type in either Aiptasia or Ventricaria ventricosa, and then click ‘images’ on the left hand side.

(* Ref: Baensch Marine Atlas Vol 1)

(** Aquaristsonline.com has no connection, personal or commercial, with the makers of ‘Joes Juice’)